Blanchard Island Recreation Area

Mississippi River - Pools 11-22 — riverside, fishing

Location: New Boston, IA, IA

Price: From $14 per night

Rating: 4.4 out of 5 (9 reviews)

Season: May through October

The Mississippi River Project’s Muscatine Ranger Station has gone to a new way to pay for First-Come First-Serve campsites at the Blanchard Island Recreation Area. This new way is called "Scan & Pay". Blanchard Island’s open fee dates are May 15th through October 15th.

Cell coverage (FCC estimate): none signal. Actual signal may vary in remote areas.

Amenities: Fire Rings, Picnic Tables, Vault Toilets, Drinking Water, Dump Station, Fishing, Boat Launch

Availability alerts: Set a free cancellation alert at camperwatch.org/campground/blanchard-island-recreation-area to be notified when sites open up.

Blanchard Island Recreation Area offers affordable camping at $14/night with boat launch and fishing access on the Mississippi River. The campground features essential amenities including fire rings, picnic tables, drinking water, and a dump station.

Wildlife alert: Red-headed Woodpeckers, Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, Barred Owls, American Beavers, and three turtle species (Ouachita Map, Ornate Box, and Western Painted) are documented in the area.

Insider tips for Blanchard Island Recreation Area: Book early as a federal campground with limited sites (1 total site listed) Use Recreation.gov mobile app with QR code 'Scan & Pay' system—cash no longer accepted, credit card required Arrive physically at campground to purchase and claim your site using the app

Skip Blanchard Island Recreation Area if: You need RV hookups—no hookups available; only self-contained RVs suitable. You prefer to pay with cash—credit card only with new Scan & Pay system. You plan to visit outside May 15 - October 15 window—seasonal operations only. You're driving a vehicle unsuitable for 2.5 miles of gravel road.

Best time to visit Blanchard Island Recreation Area: May 15 - October 15 — Official open season per RIDB; campground operates seasonally during this period only.

Nearby campgrounds: Shady Creek (MUSCATINE, IA), Clarks Ferry (Muscatine, IA), Turkey Creek Day Use Area (Iowa City, IA), Tailwater East Campground (IOWA CITY, IA).

Cell Phone Coverage at Blanchard Island Recreation Area

Cell signal at Blanchard Island Recreation Area (New Boston, IA): none overall signal based on FCC broadband data.

Coverage data source: FCC Broadband Data Collection (BDC). Actual signal may vary due to terrain, tree cover, and distance from towers. Camper reports are more reliable than coverage maps in remote areas.

CamperWatch
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Mississippi River - Pools 11-22 — riverside, fishingLive availability via Recreation.gov· synced every 30 min

Blanchard Island Recreation Area

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New Boston, IA, IA★ 4.4 (9 reviews)From $14/nightFederal campground · book on Recreation.gov
On this page ↓OverviewConditionsPlan Your TripCommunity

The Mississippi River Project’s Muscatine Ranger Station has gone to a new way to pay for First-Come First-Serve campsites at the Blanchard Island Recreation Area. This new way is called "Scan & Pay". Blanchard Island’s open fee dates are May 15th through October 15th.

Best for:AnglersBoatersFamiliesSites:TentRV
LIVE · weather + fire + AQI + availability + wildlife

Verified facts

RIDB / Recreation.gov official database
Check-in2:00 PM
Check-out12:00 PM
SeasonMay through October
Stay limit14 days
HookupsNo hookups. Suitable for self-contained RVs.
PetsAllowed
CampfiresAllowed
Max/site6 people

Amenities

RIDB /facilities /campsites · owner-verified
Essentials
Fire RingsDrinking WaterBoat Launch
Recreation
Picnic TablesDump Station
Family & Pets
Vault ToiletsFishing

Straight talk

CamperWatch intel · curated from camper reports

Known issues, each with the workaround. Read before you book.

Known issuesFederal campground — book early. No hookups at most sites. Seasonal operations.
Skip it if:✕ You need RV hookups—no hookups available; only self-contained RVs suitable✕ You prefer to pay with cash—credit card only with new Scan & Pay system✕ You plan to visit outside May 15 - October 15 window—seasonal operations only✕ You're driving a vehicle unsuitable for 2.5 miles of gravel road

Insider tips & when to go

CamperWatch intel · hand-curated entry

Book early as a federal campground with limited sites (1 total site listed)

Use Recreation.gov mobile app with QR code 'Scan & Pay' system

cash no longer accepted, credit card required

Arrive physically at campground to purchase and claim your site using the app

Best: May 15 - October 15

Official open season per RIDB; campground operates seasonally during this period only

Things to do nearby

RIDB /activities /recareas + intel

Conditions today

Live
at campground coordinates

Cell signal

FCC BDC · quarterly dataset
T-Mobile
4G · 0%
Verizon
4G · 0%
AT&T
4G · 0%

FCC maps are theoretical — camper reports confirm signal.

Wildlife nearby

iNaturalist · research-grade · 8 km
Alert: Red-headed Woodpeckers, Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, Barred Owls, American Beavers, and three turtle species (Ouachita Map, Ornate Box, and Western Painted) are documented in the area.

Location

Leaflet · OpenStreetMap tiles
Open in OpenStreetMap ↗
563-263-7913· Mississippi River - Pools 11-22
Getting there →

To get to Blanchard Island Recreation Area you will need to drive on approximately 2.5 miles of gravel road. The address is 34000 176th Ave. W., New Boston, IL 61272. From Muscatine, IA, you will need to cross the Muscatine Bridge into IL. You'll drive about 2 miles on Hwy. 92, then turn right onto 322nd St. W for about 4.5 miles. Then you'll turn right onto 176th St. W, which is a gravel road. Follow this gravel road all the way to the levee for about 2.5 miles, then go up and over the levee to

Campground entrance

Google Maps API

Community

#community · posts, photos & Q&A · AI-moderated (Claude Vision)

Pro tips

  • Book on recreation.gov exactly 6 months ahead at 10am ET — Mississippi River - Pools 11-22 fills fast in peak season.
  • Check current road conditions at Mississippi River - Pools 11-22 before arrival — seasonal closures common.

Frequently asked questions

RIDB facts + intel · FAQPage schema, speakable
How much does Blanchard Island Recreation Area cost per night?+
Blanchard Island Recreation Area costs $14 per night. Hookup options: No hookups. Suitable for self-contained RVs.
What season is Blanchard Island Recreation Area open?+
Blanchard Island Recreation Area is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.
Does Blanchard Island Recreation Area have hookups?+
No hookups. Suitable for self-contained RVs.
What is the maximum RV length at Blanchard Island Recreation Area?+
Blanchard Island Recreation Area is primarily a tent camping facility.
How do I make reservations at Blanchard Island Recreation Area?+
Blanchard Island Recreation Area is a federal campground — book 6 months ahead at Recreation.gov. Set a free CamperWatch cancellation alert to be notified the moment a site opens.
What is the cell service like at Blanchard Island Recreation Area?+
According to FCC coverage maps, cell signal at Blanchard Island Recreation Area is rated none. FCC maps show theoretical coverage — actual signal in remote or heavily forested areas may be weaker.
What season is Blanchard Island Recreation Area open, and what are check-in times?+
Blanchard Island Recreation Area is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.
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●Data sources on this page
Recreation.gov — Live site availability — updated every 30 min
recreation.gov · RIDB API
National Weather Service — Live hourly forecast + active alerts
api.weather.gov · open-meteo.com
Google Air Quality API — Live AQI at exact campground coordinates
airquality.googleapis.com
iNaturalist — Research-grade wildlife within 8km
api.inaturalist.org
Google Pollen API — Today’s tree, grass & weed pollen forecast
pollen.googleapis.com
FCC Broadband Map — Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile 4G/5G coverage data
broadbandmap.fcc.gov · quarterly
Sunrise-Sunset.org — Sunrise, sunset & golden hour for today
api.sunrise-sunset.org
Google Street View — Campground entrance & access road imagery
maps.googleapis.com
RIDB — ADA sites, hookups, toilets, pets, campfire rules, bear boxes, max RV, activities, contact, directions
ridb.recreation.gov · /facilities /campsites /activities /links /recareas

CamperWatch never fabricates data. Where data is unavailable, it is not shown.

$14 /night★ 4.4 (9)
SeasonMay through October
Check-in2:00 PM
Check-out12:00 PM
Reserve on Recreation.gov ↗
Dates full? Get an availability alert
FAQ
How much does Blanchard Island Recreation Area cost per night?+
What season is Blanchard Island Recreation Area open?+
Does Blanchard Island Recreation Area have hookups?+
All 7 questions →

Nearby Campgrounds

Shady Creek

MUSCATINE, IA

From $14/night

Clarks Ferry

Muscatine, IA

From $26/night

Forest campground camping

Turkey Creek Day Use Area

Iowa City, IA

From $50/night

Tailwater East Campground

IOWA CITY, IA

From $14/night

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